We now have 148 new citizens in Massachusetts. They were sworn-in at Malden High School on Tuesday, a day none of them will forget. Diane Portnoy shared her own journey from refugee to U.S. citizen to founder of The Immigrant Learning Center (ILC) with the hopeful crowd. She also thanked them, as she does every year, for becoming Americans and making our country stronger.
The ILC sponsors this event every year in Malden, one of the most diverse towns in the commonwealth. This year, 84 of them were registered to vote by our partner, the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. This was one of the last ceremonies before the Nov. 8 election. Although the standard deadline to register in Massachusetts is Wednesday, October 19, the Secretary of State’s office says that new citizens can apply in person at their town hall up until 4 p.m. on Nov. 7.
Anyone interested in becoming a citizen should contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Slide Show of ILC-sponsored ceremonies from Flickr